Hey there Scribes! Today, we have a backstory that was sent to us by Brandon. He wanted his teifling Zagreos to be forced into a life of thieving due to his brother's mistake. Here is what we came up with. Let us know what you think!
Zagreos started out with a normal life. He lived in a loving family with his human father, teifling mother, and older brother, Kvazir. Everything was perfect. He was getting good grades in school, getting into trouble with his older brother, just living his best life with his family. Until something very unexpected happened.
The older Zagreos got, he realized his brother was becoming more and more sneaky. He started off stealing something small from a local store. It was just a piece of candy. But, that piece of candy turned into a loaf of bread which turned into a small knife and so on. He seemed to love the thrill of stealing and seeing how far he could go.
Zagreos swore to his brother that he wouldn't tell on him but became increasingly worried about his safety. Nothing was flawless and something was bound to happen at some point or another. His parents never would notice their son’s absence since he would always do it at night. They would wonder why Kvazir would be tired in the morning but just thought it was due to him being a teenager.
One day, Kvazir came up to Zagreos with a plan. He was going to steal from the local baron of the town. He tried to talk his brother out of it, saying it was going to be a bad idea and he needed to stop while he was ahead. But, a fire was lit behind Kvazir’s eyes and there was no talking him out of it.
That night, Kvazir snuck out of his house with no trouble and made his way to the baron’s house. He slunk through the shadows, not stirring a single leaf. He easily broke into the huge mansion and explored around. The lights were off in the entire house and no one seemed to stir. Things were going great!
Kvazir was about to leave with his loot, which ended up being a handful of gold and a silver necklace with a massive ruby hanging from the chain. He was so proud of himself! I can’t wait to show Zagreos and prove him wrong! He thought to himself as he did a little happy dance. But suddenly, a booming voice behind him broke the silence.
“Well, what do we have here,” The voice sneered as he reached out and grabbed Kvazir’s arm. It was the baron! How did he wake up? He was sure to be quiet! Fear struck Kvazir as he looked at the large man. An evil smile broke across his face.
“So, let me get this straight. You thought you were slick enough to try and steal from me? Just wait until The Guilded Few hear about this.” Kvazir’s face went pale. The Guilded Few were an underground black market group that was known in the town for their thieving and evil actions. They would burn down buildings and even murder someone if it meant they would get even just a small bit of money. There was a rumor going around town that the baron was somehow connected to them, which is how he has stayed in power for 15 years. Anyone who opposed him ended up mysteriously missing, skipping town with no trace left behind but the same note every time.
In fear, Kvazir knew he needed to getaway. He jerked his arm away from the man and threw the heavy bag right in his face. The baron stumbled back from the sudden movement and Kvazir took this opportunity to flee. He rushed out of the house into the darkness, while he heard the bacon scream behind him, “You will regret this!”
Kvazir stumbled back into his dark house where Zagreos was waiting up for him. He quickly explained the situation to his brother and ran to his room. He took a bag and started packing up some items. Zagreos followed his brother, trying to talk him down.
“You don’t understand, Zagreos. I have to leave to save you all. They will come after me. I can’t stay here and risk your life,” He whispered through his tears. “Please tell mom and dad that I am doing what I believe is right. Don’t come looking for me. I will contact you somehow,” he said as he hugged his brother tight. He didn’t even wait for Zagreos to respond before he left the house, never to be seen again.
Zagreos came into his parent's bedroom in tears, sobbing to them as he explained the entire situation. His parents were mortified and heartbroken that their son was now gone. His mother wept as his father paced the room, trying to think of an idea.
“Well, maybe we can pay them off,” his father asked.
“No, we can’t. We don’t have the money! They probably want hundreds,” his mother replied through her tears. Just as she finished her sentence, there was a heavy knock at the door. They all stopped trying to be as quiet as they could. His father grabbed a dagger from under his bed and headed to the door, the knife hidden behind his back. The three men at the door didn’t wait for them to answer. They swiftly kicked in their small wooden door and barged into the entryway.
The largest of the three called into the quiet house, “Oh Kvazir! Come on and talk to us!” The three family members walked into their line of sight, his mother guarding the small Zagreos behind her. His father spoke up, “I heard what my son did, and I deeply apologize. But, he is gone. He left and we have no idea where he went. But, maybe we can arrange payment to make up for what he did?”
The leader pretended to mull this over and then shook his head, “Hm, no. He stole from us. He needs to pay the price. And since he isn’t here, I guess this runt will do.” As he finished his sentence, the two other men rushed forward and tackled his father and mother. The leader swiftly moved forward and picked up Zagreos and threw him over his shoulder. He turned around and started to walk into the night.
“Thanks for the payment,” He called as his father and mother screamed his name, struggling against the ridiculously strong goons. In a matter of moments, the gang was gone and the family was left without any children.
That was years ago now. His mother’s screams still haunt him in his dreams. Zagreos now lived in a far off town, hours and hours away from his hometown. He was working to pay off his brother's debt he owed to The Guilded Few. He swore that one day he would break free from this cycle of stealing and return home to his loving family. He swore he would someday find Kvazir and everything would go back to the way it once was.
The original idea goes to Brandon Gerard. It was revised and edited by us, Bards of Lore. We take no credit in the idea of the character, just the story aspect!
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